Fasteners

ABSTRACT

A plastic fastener including a bored head portion, a pair of tab portions extending downwardly from the head portion, a bored body portion including a plunger member extending downwardly from the head portion with the upper end of the plunger member being severably connected to the tab portions, and a pair of resilient leg portions connecting the head portion to the body portion adapted to be deformed outwardly with movement of the plunger member between the tab portions upon self-threading movement of a threaded member through the lower end of the body portion, and abutments on the body portion adapted for engagement with the tab portions to limit upward movement of the body portion toward the head portion.

United States Patent Inventors Laurence H. Flora, deceased by late ofNorth Olmsted, Ohio 7 Mary 1. Flora, North Olmsted, Ohio and ClevelandTrust Company, Cleveland, h sbh h xecu Appl. No. 849,928 Filed Aug. 13,1969 Division of Ser. No. 655,248, Dec. 22, 1966, Patent No. 3,478,395,which is a division v of Ser. No. 284,223, May 29, 1963, Patent No.3,313,083 Patented Aug. 31, 1971 Assignee Eaton Yale & Towne Inc.

Cleveland, Qhio FASTENERS 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. U.S. Cl 24/73 SP,5/70 Int. Cl Fl6lb 113/06 Field of Search /70, 72,

Primary Examiner-Donald A. Griffin. Att0rneyTeare, Teare & SammonABSTRACT: A plastic fastener including a bored head portion, a pair oftab portions extending downwardly from the head portion, a bored bodyportion including a plunger member extending downwardly from the headportion with the upper end of the plunger member being severablyconnected to the tab portions, and a pair of resilient leg portionsconnecting the head portion to the body portion adapted to be deformedoutwardly with movement of the plunger member between the tab portionsupon self-threading movement of a threaded member through the lower endof the body portion, and abutments on the body portion adapted forengagement with the tab portions to limit upward movement of the bodyportion toward the head portion.

PATENTEDAUB31 l9?! INVENTOR.

LAURENCE H. FLORA ATTORNEYS The application is a division of theapplication to Laurence H. Flora, now US. Pat. No. 3,478,395 filed Dec22, 1966, which is a division of the application to Laurence H. Flora,Ser. No. 284,223 filed May 29, 1963, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,083

This invention relates in general to fastening means, and moreparticularly to plastic fasteners for the securing of two or moremembers together, such as for instance a pair of metal panels, or thesecuring of, for instance, molding or trim strip to a panel.

The fastener means of the instant invention is adapted to be used inplace of sheet metal fasteners, or sheet metal screws, or nuts andbolts, and is particularly adapted for use in blind locationattachments, where only one side of an assembly is accessible to aworkman. The plastic fastener arrangements of the invention provide theultimate in molding retention, and overcome rusting problems relating tothe engagement of dissimilar metals, and lessen chances of trappedmoisture in the assemblies.

Accordingly, an object of the instant invenn'on is to provide novelplastic fasteners for holding two or more members together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deformable plasticfastener which may be readily inserted through aligned openings in twoor more members, or through an opening in only one side of thesupporting member, for securely attaching the members together.

Another object of the invention is to provide various forms of fastenersfor tying or fastening together a pair of members, such as a pair ofsuperimposed panels, and wherein the fastener comprises a comparativelysmall, inexpensive member of plastic material, which fastener is adaptedto extend through apertures in the panel members, and to be deformedupon threaded driving of a screw associated therewith, for securelyattaching the members together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deformable plasticfastener adapted to secure a pair of members together, such as forinstance a pair of panel members having aligned apertures therethrough,and wherein the fastener comprises a body portion, a head portion, andlaterally disposed straplike collapsible locking legs extending betweenthe head and body portions, and wherein a threaded member is adapted toextend between the head portion and the body portion, and to draw thebody portion toward the head portion when the fastener is in saidapertures, thereby causing the locking legs to collapse behind the panelassembly, and secure the fastener to the supporting panel members.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a fastener of theabove-mentioned type wherein the head portion includes means thereon forsnap fastening coaction with another object, such as for instance trimstrip, for holding the trim strip in assembled relation with a panel orpanels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plastic fastenerarrangement which is adapted for attachment to a supporting member orpanel, and which eliminates the problems of rusting due to engagementbetween dissimilar metals, and which embodies means thereon for readilyattaching a trim strip to the supporting member of panel, and in amanner to prevent the entrapment of moisture behind the trim strip.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the fastener made in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the fastener of HG. ll;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken elevational view of the fastener of FIG. land FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane of lineld of HG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now again to the drawings, and particularly to lFlGS. lthrough f thereof, there is shown a plastic fastener Ml comprising agenerally wedge-shaped body portion 112' having a protrusion Mlprojecting downwardly therefrom. A head portion lb is secured to thebody portion 11.3, and by means of relatively thin collapsible ordeformable straplike legs lid extending between the head and bodyportions, and merging therewith. As best seen for instance in lFlG. 2,the legs llfl initially diverge or slope slightly outwardly, as at lbs,and then turn inwardly, as at 11%, to smoothly merge with the tapered orwedge-shaped body portion 112. Such a diverging arrangement is useful ininsertion of the fastener into the opening or aperture in a supportingmember or panel and for holding the fastener in assembled relahfon withthe panel prior to its being deformed or collapsed to secured relationon the panel, as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,313,083.

The fastener may be formed from a single piece of relatively highstrength, deformable plastic material, such as for instance nylon. itmay be die-molded lending itself to mass production procedures.

As can be best seen in H6. f, there is an opening 322 extending throughthe fastener which is open at its upper end, but preferably closed atits lower end, in the protrusion portion M. Relatively thin plasticsections 2.3 (H6. 2) which sections may be of the order of twohundredths of an inch thickness, also connect the body portion M to thehead portion in. These thin sections supplement the connection of theaforementioned locking legs 118.

Depending from the head portion. to and on opposite sides of the bodyportion as compared to the sides of the body portion on which aredisposed the straplike legs 118, are tabs 2%, 24a. in this arrangement,the plastic fastener does not embody the camlike surface construction ofUS. Pat. No. 3,313,083 on the body l2 thereof, which will urge the tabs2d, 2441 outwardly, and thus the present fastener does not possess thetab locking feature of US. Pat. No. 3,313,083. However, such fastenerdoes possess the collapsible straplike legs lb which are adapted tocollapse and to secure the fastener to a supporting panel. in addition,during threaded insertion of a rotatable screw member into suchfastener, the outward deformation of the body l2 of the fastener willcause some outward movement of the tab portions 24, Ma away from oneanother, but not to the extent aforedescribed in connection with US.Pat. No. 3,313,083. However, the tabs 24', 2% will aid in guiding theplunger portion 00 of the fastener body 12' during the latters inwardaxial movement toward the head portion lb, and engagement between theends of the tabs and confronting abutment surfaces 82 on the body 112serve to limit such axially inward movement of the body portion towardthe head portion, upon collapsing or folding of the legs 18.

In operation, the fastener may first be inserted through alignedpolygonal openings, as shown and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,083,and a threaded member, upon rotation, threadably engages and cuts intothe interior surface 38 (FIG. 4) of the opening 22 and commences to drawthe body portion 112 axially toward the flanged head portion to therebycausing collapsing of the straplike leg portion l8, which, asaforementioned, already diverge outwardly with respect to one another,as at llha and 11017. This initial collapsing may occur before the headof a screw engages the abutments, as at 30 of HG. l. Further rotation ofthe threaded member causes further movement of the body portion 12'toward the head portion 116 and movement of the fastener to itsfinalizing deformed position in the panels. During the inward movementof the body portion 12' toward the head portion in due to therotation-of the threaded member and its threaded coaction with thesurface 3% of the fastener, the tabs 24 and 24h: slide on the plungerportions to aid in guiding the plunger portion during the latters inwardaxial movement until the tabs engage against the abutment surface 82 onthe body ill to limit such axial inward movement of the body portiontoward the head portion upon collapsing or folding ofthe legs l3.

When the fastener is drawn up tight, the deformed or collapsed legs 18and the tabs 24, 24a, engage in sealing relation with the peripheries ofthe openings in the panels and effectively seal such openings againstthe entry of moisture, etc. It will also be seen that due to the closedlower end of the proje'c tion 14, no moisture can enter through thepassage 22 in the fastener.

The head 16 preferably embodies a flange portion 28 which flange portionmay be adapted for abutting engagement with the confronting side of thesupporting panel A, and a collar portion 280 projecting upwardly fromthe flange. The head has abutment surfaces 30 therein, which are adaptedfor engagement with the head of a threaded member for limiting themovement of the screwinto the collar, as shown in US. Pat.

3,313,083. The collar portion 28a is preferably of such depth that thehead of a screw is received completely therein upon collapsing of thefastener into its finalized secured condition on the supporting panel orpanels.

It is claimed:

opening in a supporting member, said device comprising,

a head portion adapted to be disposed adjacent one side of saidsupporting member,

said head portion having a bore adapted to receive a threaded membertherethrough,

at least one pair of laterally spaced tab portions depending generallyaxially downwardly from said head portion, a body portion including anintegral plunger member depending generally axially downwardly from saidhead portion, the upper end of said plunger member being severablyconnected to said tab portions,

said body portion and plunger member having a bore disposed in axialalignment with the bore in said head portion adapted for self-threadingengagement with a threaded member inserted therethrou'gh,

. a pair of laterally spaced, resilient leg portions disposed g.abutment means disposed adjacent the juncture of said plunger memberwith said body portion adapted for engagement with said tab portions tolimit upward movement of said body portion toward said head portion.

2. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said plungermember is of a polygonal shape in transverse cross section adapted to bereceived in a complementary shaped opening defined between said tabportions.

3. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said tabportions extend generally parallel to one another and generally parallelwith respect to the confronting exterior surfaces of said plungermember.

4. A fastener device in accordance with claim 3, wherein a. said legportions initially diverge outwardly from one another and then convergetoward one another in outwardly spaced relation from the tab portionsand said plunger member.

5. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said plungermember has a reduced transverse dimension as compared to said bodyportion.

6. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said bodyportion includes an integral, hollow protrusion depending downwardlytherefrom,

b. said protrusion being closed at one end and having an axial boredisposed in alignment with the bore in said body portion.

7. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said headportion includes a laterally outwardly projecting flange adapted forengagement with one side of a support member.

8. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. thetransverse distance between said tab portlons is slightly greater thanthe transverse dimension of said plunger member, whereby said plungermember is adapted to be slidably received in generally parallel relationbetween said tab portions upon movement of said body portion toward saidhead portion.

9. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1 wherein a. thetransverse wall thickness of said plunger member is substantiallygreater than the transverse thickness of said

1. A plastic fastener device adapted for insertion through an opening ina supporting member, said device comprising, a. a head portion adaptedto be disposed adjacent one side of said supporting member, b. said headportion having a bore adapted to receive a threaded member therethrough,c. at least one pair of laterally spaced tab portions dependinggenerally axially downwardly from said head portion, d. a body portionincluding an integral plunger member depending generally axiallydownwardly from said head portion, the upper end of said plunger memberbeing severably connected to said tab portions, e. said body portion andplunger member having a bore disposed in axial alignment with the borein said head portion adapted for self-threading engagement with athreaded member inserted therethrough, f. a pair of laterally spaced,resilient leg portions disposed on opposite sides of said tab portionsconnected at one end adjacent said head portion and at the other endadjacent said body portion adapted to be deformed outwardly with upwardmovement of said plunger member between said tab portions upon turningmovement of said threaded member through said bores, and g. abutmentmeans dIsposed adjacent the juncture of said plunger member with saidbody portion adapted for engagement with said tab portions to limitupward movement of said body portion toward said head portion.
 2. Afastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a. said plungermember is of a polygonal shape in transverse cross section adapted to bereceived in a complementary shaped opening defined between said tabportions.
 3. A fastener device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a.said tab portions extend generally parallel to one another and generallyparallel with respect to the confronting exterior surfaces of saidplunger member.
 4. A fastener device in accordance with claim 3, whereina. said leg portions initially diverge outwardly from one another andthen converge toward one another in outwardly spaced relation from thetab portions and said plunger member.
 5. A fastener device in accordancewith claim 1, wherein a. said plunger member has a reduced transversedimension as compared to said body portion.
 6. A fastener device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein a. said body portion includes anintegral, hollow protrusion depending downwardly therefrom, b. saidprotrusion being closed at one end and having an axial bore disposed inalignment with the bore in said body portion.
 7. A fastener device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein a. said head portion includes alaterally outwardly projecting flange adapted for engagement with oneside of a support member.
 8. A fastener device in accordance with claim1, wherein a. the transverse distance between said tab portions isslightly greater than the transverse dimension of said plunger member,whereby said plunger member is adapted to be slidably received ingenerally parallel relation between said tab portions upon movement ofsaid body portion toward said head portion.
 9. A fastener device inaccordance with claim 1, wherein a. the transverse wall thickness ofsaid plunger member is substantially greater than the transversethickness of said leg portions.
 10. A fastener device in accordance withclaim 1, wherein a. said body portion is of a wedgelike shape tapered ina downward and inward direction away from said head portion.